In the 20th
century mankind has fought two World Wars whose mental impact has only fallen on the small
percentage of servicemen and women who actually fought at the 'sharp-end'. Today, there
are very few of those men and women left alive. Hence, this article has been written so
that those generations following us may obtain a small insight into our state of mind
during the second of those wars.
Obviously, I cannot speak for every serviceperson but thousands of them faced exactly the
same experiences as I did. Every one of us reacted to each situation in a different way
and there were service people who enjoyed war so much they were disappointed when the
slaughter ended. The vast majority of those who served became physically and mentally
tired. We grew tired of warfare. We were tired of being torn from our loved ones.
The constant pressure of living on a knife edge for years on end seemed to exhaust us
spiritually. Even when we realised we were beginning to win, we were slowly drained by the
constant need to strain every muscle and sharpen each nerve to outlast the enemy.
In the Far East the end came much, much, swifter than we expected. The great trough of
silence that followed the two atomic bangs was so deep no one grasped its significance.
Those service personnel with a high demobilization number, like me, saw our older and
experienced leaders disappear. Automatically, we were promoted to carry on where they had
left off. During the following months all the dangers and instances of sudden death did
not cease around us. |
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This particularly
applied to my next postings. Places like Thailand and Java were in utter chaos. Even their
currency was worthless and it required a great effort to soldier on while accepting the
hazards of life just as if the war was going full tilt. A good example of this was the
blood shed during the partition of India.
Nor was our civilian life pleasant when we finally attained it. After three years away
from home, we were foreigners in a land where everyone wished to forget the war. We were
abandoned to make what sense we could of what was happening around us. Then, just as we
surfaced from this sea of indifference, Winston Churchill suddenly pointed out that Russia
was no longer our trusted ally but was waging a Cold War against us. The Berlin Wall went
up and we toiled on. We struggled to bring up a young family against the same background
tensions we had faced ever since 1930. Indeed, throughout my adult life I seem to have
soldiered on amid a warlike environment that did not end until 1991, when Russia regained
its sanity and Communism collapsed.
Thus, it was with enormous pleasure that I celebrated the Millennium in the ancient
Lincolnshire village of Ewerby, with my grandchildren about me. As native born Britons, my
generation have survived all that the 20th century threw at us. Indeed, we can all claim
to have kept faith with the ancient families who bore us, and made our country great. Now,
having handed on a fragile peace we did not inherit, our account will soon be closed.
There is nothing more to be said.
Ex -serviceman - Member of A.R.P. in London Blitz
14th Army - T.A. |
Our January meeting was well
attended on a very cold night when the President welcomed a new member, Mavis Sturgess.
Rosemary and Tricia, from Break, amazed us with the range of services now provided by the
Charity, which started in a small way in 1968, with 1 holiday centre, and now spends £5m.
a year in providing holidays and respite care for children and adults with disabilities,
in four children's homes, an adult Day Care Centre, Cluster Groups out in the community, a
residential family assessment unit and a self catering chalet in Devon. Nearly half the
income is raised from charity shops, where volunteers are always needed, and other fund
raising includes a lottery and fire-walk and 100 mile walk challenges. Edna Abbs gave the
vote of thanks wishing Break continued success with its worthwhile and much needed work.
It was reported that our own resolution on the Care of the Elderly had achieved the
highest number of votes for the four adopted by the Norfolk Federation Resolutions Day at
Yaxham and would now await voting by other Federations. Members were urged to support
Fairtrade Fortnight from 3 - 16 March by looking for the new blue/yellow design on
products. Next meeting 6 Feb at St Andrew's Church Hall at 7:30pm. This will be a Social
Evening with hands-on card making and a Bring and Buy Stall. Visitors are always welcome.
Do join us!
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